George Cotton (c1505-1545)
}} Biography Esquire to Henry VIII Sir George - George Cotton was knighted by Henry VIII of England (1491-1547) and was the grantee of Combermere. The Cottons of Combermere rose to great heights in the reign of Henry VIII, and this was due in a measure to the alliances with these other families by marriage. George Cotton was knighted by Henry VIII and was the grantee of Combermere. Sir George Cotton, Knight, and Esquire of the Body to Henry VIII, and knighted by him, grantee of Combermere in 32 year of Henry VIII, including the monastery, with its church, bell tower, Lake of Combermere and the cemetery, all by the King's letters patent. In this grant were lands called Dodcote in County Salop, Cliffe and Hales in Drayton, Erdlet Grange in Staffordshire, Wincell Grange in County Cheshire and Cotes Grange in Derbyshire. The site of Combermere Abbey, with 22,000 acres, became the property of Sir George Cotton, as a reward for his service to Henry VIII. He pulled down most of the abbey buildings except the abbots' lodgings. The original building had a stone ground floor with timber above. Sir George's son, Richard, remodelled the house in 1563. There is a picture of the house as it was in 1760, before the restoration carried out in the early 19th century Sheriff of Denbighshire Sir George Cotton, Sheriff of Denbighshire,Steward of Bromfield, Yale, Chirk, & Chirckland, Privy Councillor was born circa 1505 at Cotton, Wem, Shropshire, England.2,3 Sir George Cotton, Sheriff of Denbighshire,Steward of Bromfield, Yale, Chirk, & Chirckland, Privy Councillor died on 25 March 1545 at Combermere, Cheshire, England. PROPERTY: * Together with wife, was granted by the King, the Combermere Abbey, Cheshire 1542. * Together with wife, was granted by the King, the manor of Wilkesley, Cheshire 1542. * Together with wife, was granted by the King, the manor of Pulton, Cheshire 1543. Combermere Abbey Principle residence was the Combermere Abbey located in Dodcott cum Wilkesley, English County of Cheshire. A former Christian monastery founded in 1130 AD and at one time the third largest church in Cheshire. In August 1539, the abbey and its estates, were granted to Sir George Cotton, an esquire of the body to Henry VIII of England (1491-1547). The Cotton Family kept it as a country home which they held up till 1919. After the dissolution it was acquired by Sir George Cotton, who demolished the church and most of the buildings, and converted part of the abbey into a country house. The house was remodelled in 1563 by Sir George's son, Richard Cotton, altered in 1795 by Sir Robert Cotton, and Gothicised in 1814–21 by Stapleton Cotton, Viscount Combermere. The site of Combermere Abbey, with 22,000 acres, became the property of Sir George Cotton, as a reward for his service to Henry VIII. He pulled down most of the abbey buildings except the abbots' lodgings. The original building had a stone ground floor with timber above. Sir George's son, Richard, remodelled the house in 1563. There is a picture of the house as it was in 1760, before the restoration carried out in the early 19th century Marriage and Family He married Mary Onley (1517-1560), daughter of John Onley, Esq. and Jane Pontesbury, before 11 November 1537; Children: # Mary Cotton (1541-1580) - md Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby (1509-1572) ad 2) Sir Henry Grey, 6th Earl Grey of Ruthin - no issue # Elizabeth Cotton (1542-) - md William Francis # Dorothy Cotton (1543-) - md Edward Torback # Winifred Cotton (1544-) - md Thomas Dering # Richard Cotton (1545-1602) - esquire, inherited Combermer Abbey. # 1 son (Richard, Esq.) and 4 daughters (Mary, wife of (1) Sir Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl Derby & (2) Sir Henry Grey, 6th Earl Grey of Ruthin; Elizabeth (wife of William Francis); Dorothy (wife of Edward Torback); and Winifred (wife of Thomas Dering, Esq.) born to this marriage.2,3 References * Combermere Abbey - Wikipedia * George Cotton - disambiguation *Combermere Abbey *Combermere Restoration - Cotton Family History *[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=39977 'Houses of Cistercian monks: The abbey of Combermere' in A History of the County of Chester (Vol. 3), pp. 150–156 (1980)] *The Cottons of Combermere Abbey Category: Esquires of the Body